S01 E02 Sue Nyathi

Loading player...
Acclaimed and award-winning author Sue Nyathi joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how life has gone since she left the corporate world to become a full-time writer. Spoiler alert – it's gone really well!

Sue breaks down how she got started as a writer, going back to the early days when her handwritten books were passed around the class in her Bulawayo high school. Sue admits that she writes two kinds of books – fun and scandalous vs deep and literary. Listen in to find out how her fans react to this dichotomy.
Fiona and Gail ask Sue about her new masterwork An Angel’s Demise, which Gail was afraid to read. Fiona explains why one of the characters gives her actual goosebumps, and not the nice kind.
Gail explains the meaning behind the term ‘structural edits’, and Fiona talks about the
‘flashlight method’ of constructing a novel. Fiona recommends the book The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, while Gail talks about her love for the show The Santa Clarita Diet with Drew Barrymore.

Since this episode was recorded, An Angel’s Demise was awarded the prestigious NIHSS Humanities Award for Best Fiction: Novel. Congratulations, Sue!

Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our socials.
5 Jun 2023 English South Africa Books · Arts

Other recent episodes

S05 E10 John Boyne

John Boyne is the internationally bestselling author of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS as well as 18 books for adults. This includes the ELEMENTS quartet, the final novella of which - FIRE - has recently been released. John joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how he…
26 May 1 hour

S05 E09 Takalani M

Takalani M is the author of the bestselling The Royal Mistress series, the After Dawn series, and the standalone novel A BURNING DESIRE. She has created a publishing and distribution powerhouse that dominates the romance sphere. Takalani joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how she got her…
19 May 1 hr 15 min

S05 E08 Paige Nick

Paige Nick is the author of multiple novels and a collection of humorous columns. Her latest novel BOOK PEOPLE has already gone into reprint. Paige is also the founder of the Good Book Appreciation Society on Facebook. Paige joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how humour is…
12 May 1 hr 12 min

S05 E07 Khaya Dlanga

Khaya Dlanga is an author, speaker, opinionista, and all-round South African celebrity. His latest collection of essays LIFE IS LIKE THAT SOMETIMES is available from Pan Macmillan right now. Khaya joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how he is preparing for his upcoming talk on the main…
5 May 1 hr 17 min

S05 E06 Joanne Fedler

Joanne Fedler is the celebrated and beloved author of such bestsellers as Secret Mothers' Business, Unbecoming, Love in the Time of Contempt, and When Hungry, Eat. Fans are thrilled to have a new Joanne Fedler novel to enjoy - The Whale's Last Song. Joanne joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel…
28 Apr 1 hr 14 min